The $47-billion United Technologies Corp. may be one of the most profitable conglomerates in the public marketplace, but it has long suffered an identity crisis. "When I say we own Otis elevator, or
Carrier air conditioning, or Pratt & Whitney jet engines, or Sikorsky helicopters, the lights come on," says George David, the company's chief. Making United Technologies into a name that people
recognize--and want to invest in--is the goal of a new $20 million ad campaign from DDB Worldwide. Research conducted after UTC began a campaign in 2003 with the tagline "This is Momentum" showed a 36
percent improvement in perception. UTC hopes to build on that with its new push. David is trying to accomplish what many successful conglomerates, such as General Electric Co., Archer-Daniels-Midland
Co. and BASF AG, have tried: create a "brand" for the parent company. Companies use such campaigns to garner recognition among consumers more accustomed to dealing with individual brands, but also to
show investors that a wounded corporation is recovering--or to prove a political point.
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